Record breaking summer dries out United Kingdom

Those familiar with the UK may be shocked to see the 'green, green grass of home' has become more of a moisture-less mother country of brown fields.

The extreme temperatures even have the BBC excited. The broadcaster tweeted a video showing Glasgow in Scotland was warmer than the party island of Ibiza.

The warm weather began in early June and since then, most of the UK hasn't dipped below 25degC. Next week could be even hotter, with highs of 35degC in the forecast.

A New Zealander who recently moved to the UK posted on Facebook about the mistake she'd made when deciding not to buy a fan when she first arrived. When the hot weather kicked in, the fan shortage did too.

"Me, a month ago: London summer, lol, why would you need a fan," she posted.

"Me, today: Argos has forsaken me at my time of need I will never shop there again as long as I live so help me god."

The hot weather is being caused by a jetstream kilometres above the ground, a flow of warm air moving north from the equator. The combination of this, and the UK's long summer days, has created the perfect storm - or lack of, for the hot temperatures to take hold.

During summer, the sun rises around 4.30am and sets after 9pm.

The Met Office figures tell the story of just how hot this summer has been.

The UK's mean maximum temperature is between 2 and 3 degrees above average in most areas. Rainfall was just 48 percent of average and the figures were even worse in most of England and Wales, with less than 10 percent of average rainfall falling in some southern counties.

The heat is affecting all parts of daily life. Trains are being delayed because heat is warping the railway lines. Inadequate air-conditioning in hospitals has left patients passing out and vomiting in temperatures over 30degC indoors.

The UK's Environmental Audit Committee warned higher temperatures will be the "norm" within two decades.

The committee chair, Mary Creagh MP, said people need to realise heat warnings aren't necessarily a good thing.

"Heatwave warnings are welcomed as barbecue alerts, but they threaten health, wellbeing and productivity. The Met Office has projected that UK summer temperatures could regularly reach 38.5degC by the 2040s," she said.

The committee also highlighted the fact that most buildings and houses in the UK aren't built for the heat.

The sound of petrol-powered industrial fans and air conditioning units has become common in the last few weeks across the high streets of the UK.